Towel rack



Dec. 29, 1953 A. J. ROGER 2,664,210

TOWEL RACK Filed Sept. 30, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l ALBERT J. ROGER INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY FIG.9

ALBERT J. ROGER JNVENTOR.

' gum/m5) A. J. ROGER Dec. 29, 1953 led Sept. 50, 1949 FIG.8

Patented Dec. 29, 1953 UNITED STATE 7 TOWEL RACK Albert J Roger, San Leandro, Calif. Application September 30, 1949, Serial N 0. 118,779

9 Claims.

This invention is a towel rack.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a towel rack which not only has the utility for which it is constructed but which also is ornamentally acceptable and low in cost of manufacture and distribution.

Among the general objects of my invention are to provide a towel rack which is simple, and easily collapsed into a very small volumetric space and to provide such a rack which is inherently light in weight and durable.

Among the specific objects of my invention are to provide a towel rack which is formed by relatively simple manufacturing operations. To this end the rack is assembled of a minimum number of differently shaped parts, the parts being individually molded of plastic material. Such plastic materials, when properly distributed in devices subjected to physical stress, re-

act favorably even though of thin section and weight.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is in part a front elevation of the rack from which all the arms save one have been omitted, and in part -a section as in plane [-1 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is in part a plan view of the rack from which all the rack arms except one have been omitted, and in part a section as in plane 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is in part a rear elevational view of the rack with all arms except one omitted and in part a section at plane 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section at plane 44 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is in part a view as seen from underneath Fig. 1, showing the bottom plate closure broken away in part; and also showing a portion of the body or support cut away to show a partial section in plane 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a side view and cross section of a rack arm;

Fig. 7 is a section at planes l'| of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the rack in inactive position; and 1 Figs. 9 and 10 show details of an attachment bracket.

In general, the rack comprises a supporting body ID which is maintained in the erect position of Fig. l with its rear flat face I2 against a vertical wall. The support I0 has articulated therewith a series of rack arms I6, each of which is normally positioned either in the inactive and upright position of Figs. 4 and 8 or in the active position about as indicated in Figs. 1, 2, and 5 with the arms l6 having a slight upward tilt from horizontal, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, so that towels hung thereon do not slip off by force of ravity; g The arms l6 are actively positioned as in Figures l, 3, and 5 through the engagement: (1) of the projecting ends l8 of hubs 20, which hubs are integral with the arms I6, with the lower abutment edges 22 and 24 of webs 26 and 28 of the support I0, (2) of the same hub ends 18 with the vertical inwardly disposed abutment edges 30 of portions of the same webs 26 and 28 which portions extend below edges 22, (3) of the lower edge 34 of the arms I6 with a fulcrum edge 36 of the support, which fulcrum edge is displaced radially outward of edges 22 and 30, and (4) of the end 38 of the arm l6 with the inner wall 40 of the support. The weight of the arm [6 outside fulcrum edge 36 maintains it in this position. The distance between vertical edge 30 and the adjacent surface of wall 40 is sufficient to allow considerable horizontal movement of the end 38 and hub ends l8.

The arms l6 are positioned by the support with the top and bottom edges and 34 in substantially vertical alignment, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. For this purpose webs 26 and 28 form nearly parallel opposite vertical plane surfaces 45 and 48 separated sufficiently so that the parallel side surfaces 42 and 44 of arms l6 slide and rotate freely between them, yet the webs hold the sides of the arms approximately in vertical planes.

- In the support H] the fulcrum edges 36 form part of a semicylindric wall 50 and wall 40 is integrated therewith. through webs 26 and 28. The walls Hand 50 define between them a half ring spacebelow the upper stop edges 22 and below fulcrum edges 36, and above the lower rims 52 and of the walls. In addition to the webs 26 and 28, the walls 40 and 50 are integrally joined together by a series of radial ceiling webs 56 which extend between and are integral with the upper ends of all pairs of two adjacent nonparallel webs 26 and 28; and form, with said non-parallel webs, hollow pockets 58. Pockets 58 are formed as such merely to avoid excess material, weight, and cooling time. Similar webs extend to wall l2.

The facing edges of the lower rims of walls 40 and 50 are formed to provide annular seats 62 and 64 to which there is, after assembly of the arms within the main body of support l0, cemented a bottom plate 66. It should be observed that the arms |6 are straight and of uniform overall height and thickness from the hub 20 to the end 68.

In the assembly of the arms l6, with the support l0 inverted from Fig. 1 position, the ends 68 of the arms are dropped downwardly through the opening between rims 52 and 54, aligned with and slid through the space between the surfaces 46 and 48 of the Webs 26 and 28, stopping when ends I8 of hubs 20 abut the edges 22 and 24 of the vertical radial webs 26 and 28. The arms l6 are made symmetrical with respect to the long axis, as shown in Fig. 6, so that they can enter either of two positions of orientation thus requiring no especial machinery to orient them in this respect. Arms l6 having all been inserted, the bottom piece 66, which is approximately halfwasher in shape, is cemented into annular seats 62 and thus f rming a bottom confining the hub ends l8 of the arms within the semi-annular space 68.

The depth of the space 68 between fulcrum edges 36 and bottom 66 is sufficient sothat arms l6 are locked in the Fig. 4 and Fig. 8 positions by their own size and weight and cannot drop or rotate to the position of Figs. 1 and 3 while the arm ends 38 rest on the bottom 66. The straight portions Ill and 12 of the arm edges below fulcrum edges 36 are long enough to engage both walls 40 and 50 and prevent the arms from dropping in rotation about fulcrum 36 below a slight angle to the vertical, inward or outward.

In order to move arms 16 from the Fig. '4 to the Fig. 1 positions, it is necessary to lift them individually vertically upward. This causes hub ends it to slide along edges 30 and abut edges 22 and 24 whereupon the upper end of arm I is pulled outwardly and dropped so that it fulcrums on edge 3b as a pivot to the Fig. 1 position where it is stopped by edges 22 and 24 engaging the hub ends 18.

The upper end of the inner semi-cylindric wall 40 is joined by a top W80 14 and the back wall I2 is extended to form a lip having two vertical portions 1e and an arch portion 18 all for-med integral with the main body l0. v

It will be observed that the main body In is shaped for molding with a two part die the parts of which, after molding, are separated from the body by ejection of the body along the vertical axes of the support as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The die is preferably formed to provide suitable stiffener ribs in the body I0 as shown at 80 and 82.

The arms l6 include a continuous rim portion 84 joined by a thin stiffener web 86. At the pivot end the arms are provided with a ring of material 88 of a section similar to the section of rim 84 to which ring the hub is joined by a web portion 90. The entire arm is, therefore, formed of plastic material in one injection into asuitable die. i

A bracket 92, screwed to a wall and providing outset edges 94, serves to receive lips 16 and 18 and to attach the support to the wall.

I claim:

1. An arm for a towel rack, "said arm being formed of a plastic molding compound, said arm defining a plane of symmetry and having substantial symmetry with respect to such plane, the body of said arm defining a straight principal axis in said plane of symmetry, the body of said arm having a cross section transverse said principal axis and plane of symmetry which is uni form from one end of the arm nearly to the other end of the arm, said cross section including a thin web portion of uniform thickness including the principal axis and plane of symmetry, and a thickened rim portion bounding and integral with the web portion, there being a hub member integrated with the web at the said other end, said hub member dicular to the plane of symmetry through the principal axis, said hub member having ends extending outside the planes of the rims.

2. A support for rack arms formed of a single I rigid material and providing two integral body of concentric semi-cylindrical wall portions terhaving an axis p'erpenminating adjacent a common bottom plane with radial webs forming a common rear flat face joining the cylindrical wall portions to form a surrounded space having a half-ring shaped section in planes normal to the cylindrical axis, the outer of said cylindric walls having a series of radial slots formed therein extending from a common plane displaced from and parallel to the bottom plane and away from the bottom plane forming, at said common plane, slot ends and fulcrum edges in said wall; each slot having associated therewith a pair of parallel webs equally spaced from a common plane of symmetry passing approximately through the axis of the cylinder and the webs being integrally joined with the cylindrical walls to form therewith an open ended channel of rectangular cross section in planes normal to the cylinder axis with the inner cylindrical wall forming the bottom of said channel, the concentric walls being joined in the regions between the channels by ceiling webs to form hollow pockets between adjacent channels, the webs of said pairs of parallel webs terminating in edges in two radial planes respectively adjacent the fulcrum edge and between the ends of the channels and th ceiling webs each having a portion between said last mentioned two radial planes extending from theouter cylindrical wall toward the inner cylindrical wall and terminatin in inwardly disposed edges juxtaposed to the inner wall.

3. A support formed of a single integral body of rigid material and providing two spaced concentric wall portions terminating adjacent a common bottom plane with webs joining the wall portions to form between the wall portions a surrounded space having a half-ring shaped section in planes ad acent the bottom plane and normal to the axis of concentricity, the outer of said walls having a series of radial slots formed therein extending from a common plane displaced from and parallel to the bottom plane and away from the bottom plane forming, at said plane, slot ends and fulcrum edges in said wall; each slot having associated therewith a pair of parallel webs equally spaced from a common plane of symmetry passin approximately through the axis of concentricity and integrally joined with the walls to form therewith an open ended channel of rectangular cross section in planes normal to the axis with the inner wall forming the bottom of said channel, the concentric walls being joined in the regions between the channels by ceiling webs to form hollow pockets between adjacent channels, the webs of said pairs of parallel webs terminating in edges in planes normal to the axis between the ends of the channel and having a portion extending from the outer wall toward the inner wall and terminating in inwardly disposed edges parallel to and between the inner and the outer walls.

4. A towel rack comprising, in combination: a rigid integrally formed supporting member and a rigid integrally formed straight arm; the arm being of generally uniform cross section transverse the direction of its length adjacentone of its ends, and having a pair of hubs providing projections adjacent said one end extending on a common axis from opposite sides ofthe arm perpendicularly to the long axis of the arm,'the supporting member providing a pocket defining a pair of parallel facing wall surfaces which are spaced apart a substantially uniform distance only slightly greater than the dimension of the arm cross section perpendicular to the hub'axis of the arm, the body further being provided with a pair of parallel webs integral with and disposed across the opening between the parallel walls outside the pocket, said parallel webs having opposed facing surfaces spaced apart a distance slig y greater than the dimension of the arm cross section parallel to the hub axis of the arm, the parallel web surfaces extending beyond the pocket in planes perpendicular to the planes of the parallel facing wall surfaces in each pocket, the extended portion of one of said walls being removed between the webs and the webs having portions defining abutments facing the pockets disposed for engaging the hubs.

5. A towel rack comprising, in combination: a rigid integrally formed supporting member and a rigid integrally formed straight arm; the arm being of generally uniform cross section transverse the direction of its length and having a pair of hubs extending on a common axis perpendicularly to the arm length from opposite sides of the arm adjacent one end thereof, the supporting member providing a pair of opposed walls partially defining a pocket having facing surfaces, said facing surfaces being spaced apart a distance sufficient to allow the arm to pass therebetween in the direction of its own length, the supporting member further providing a pair of parallel webs and providing a straight extension of one of said pocket walls integral with the pocket wall defining a channel slot leading to and from the pocket to a vertical direction, said parallel webs being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than one dimension of the arm cross section, the webs having portions defining two abutments for each of the hubs, one of said two abutments being aligned for engaging the hubs in movement thereof parallel to the walls, and the other of the two abutments being aligned for engaging the hubs in movement thereof perpendicularly to the Walls.

6. A towel rack comprising, in combination: a rigid integrally formed supporting member and a rigid integrally formed straight arm; the arm being of generally uniform cross section transverse the direction of its length and having a pair of hubs extending on a common axis perpendicularly to the arm length from opposite sides of the arm adjacent one end thereof, the supporting member providing a pair of opposed walls partially defining a pocket having facing surfaces, said facing surfaces being spaced apart a distance sufficient to allow the arm to pass therebetween in the direction of its own length, the supporting member further providing a pair of parallel webs and providing a straight extension of one of said pocket walls integral with the pocket walls defining a channel slot leading to and from the pocket in a vertical direction, said parallel webs being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than one dimension of the arm cross section, the webs having portions defining two abutments for each of the hubs, one each of said two pairs of abutments being aligned for engaging the hubs in movement thereof parallel to the walls, and the other of the abutments being aligned for engaging the hubs in movement thereof perpendicularly to the extension and from the channel slot.

7. A construction as in claim 6, and means includin the pocket walls and the hubbed end of the arm for supporting the entire armin either of two perpendicularly related positions and with the hubs respectively in or above the pocket.

8. A towel rack comprising, in combination: a

rigid integrally formed supporting member and a rigid integrally formed straight arm; the arm being of generally uniform cross section transverse the direction of its length and having a pair of hubs extending on a common axis perpendicularly to the arm length from opposite sides of the arm adjacent one end thereof; the supporting member providing a pair of opposed walls partially defining a pocket having facing slide surfaces, said facing surfaces being spaced apart a distance sufficient to allow the arm to slide therebetween in the direction of its own length, the supporting member further providing a pair of parallel webs and a straight extension of one of said pocket walls defining a channel slot leading to and from the pocket in the direction of sliding, said parallel webs being spaced apart a distance substantially less than the distance between the ends of said hubs and slightly greater than the corresponding parallel dimension of the arm, the webs having portions defining two abutments for each of the pair of hubs, two abutments being aligned for engaging the hubs in movement thereof parallel to the walls and being positioned outside the pocket, and the other abutments being aligned for engaging the hubs in movement thereof perpendicularly to the walls and being positioned outside the pocket between the pocket and the first abutment.

9. A towel rack comprising, in combination: a rigid integrally formed supporting member and a rigid integrally formed straight arm; the arm being of generally uniform cross section transverse the direction of its length and having a pair of hubs extending in a common axis perpendicularly to the arm length from opposite sides of the arm adjacent one end thereof, the supporting member providing a pair of opposed parallel walls partially defining a pocket having facing parallel slide surfaces, said facing surfaces being spaced apart a distance sufilcient to allow the arm to slide therebetween in the direction of its own length and in the direction of parallelism, the supporting member further providing a pair of parallel webs perpendicular to the planes of the parallel surfaces and a straight extension of one of said pocket walls defining a channel slot leading to and from the pocket in the direction of sliding, said parallel webs being spaced apart a distance substantially less than the distance between the ends of said hubs and slightly greater than the corresponding parallel dimension of the arm, the webs having portions defining two abutments for each of the pair of hubs, one of said two abutments being aligned for engaging the hubs in movement thereof parallel to the walls and being positioned outside the pocket, and the other of the two abutments being aligned for engaging the hubs in movement thereof perpendicularly to the walls and being positioned outside the pocket between the pocket and the first abutment.

ALBERT J. ROGER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 154,956 Rochow Aug. 23, 1949 33,232 Bigelow Sept. 10, 1861 146,934 Miller Jan. 27, 1874 245,555 Pierce Aug. 9, 1881 651,539 Warren June 12, 1900 1,236,169 Hentnik Aug. J, 1917 2,016,313 Brown Oct. 8, 1935 2,109,032 Pleiss Feb. 22, 1938 

